Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Rams sign OG Jacob Bell (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter MrPhoenix
- Start date
supermark_28
Footballguy
As a new SJax owner,this is what I'm hoping for.
MrPhoenix
Ron Paul Soldier
I agree that the Rams should draft a Long. Either would be fine, really, both the O and D lines blow.
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
bell is younger than faneca, too, i think...
he makes the OL starting unit better as well as depth (stetterstrom is borderline starter & becomes third guard)...
also enhances the teams versatility by being able to swing out to tackle if needed...
not a break the bank type contract...
* not a sexy pick up, but a few more starter upgrades like this in free agency & draft, coupled with a few starters from last season returning to health (most notably pace & little) could return the team to respectability quickly...
if the rams do add jake long, too, the OL could become much better nearly overnight...
he makes the OL starting unit better as well as depth (stetterstrom is borderline starter & becomes third guard)...
also enhances the teams versatility by being able to swing out to tackle if needed...
not a break the bank type contract...
* not a sexy pick up, but a few more starter upgrades like this in free agency & draft, coupled with a few starters from last season returning to health (most notably pace & little) could return the team to respectability quickly...
if the rams do add jake long, too, the OL could become much better nearly overnight...
Last edited by a moderator:
Blackjacks
Footballguy
I just really don't think they are going to draft Long.....Jake Long that is. I think they want Howie's boy in the worse way or Gholston. If it's Ghoston they better be trading down and I could see them trading down with the Jets. I think Little will get released and they need his replacement.
I'm curious; Who do you think the Jets want to trade up for?
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
i think the rams are looking hard at the longs, the two DTs (dorsey & ellis) & possibly gholston as a dark horse...i wouldn't mind trading down if they could still get an elite player, but #2 doesn't seem like good spot to do that... there are a few elite DTs & DEs... maybe if a team wanted to jump ahead of ATL & take jake long or matt ryan?typically i advocate taking BPA & not reach for a positional need... but the rams have so many pressing needs & they are at a spot where there are several pretty good players, that they could really look at a few spots & probably find a nice intersection of "BPA" & team need...DE makes a lot of sense with little getting older (they just renegotiated his contract, i think converting his salary into roster/reporting bonus, so cap hit of about $7 mil could be spread over next two years)... they have whiffed on so many first round DTs in recent years they could be gun shy there (damione lewis & jimmy kennedy massive busts, ryan "big grease" pickett not a bust but now plying his wares in GB, carriker the jury still out on, but i don't think he will be a bust)... than again it is probably best to treat each draft as an independent event, & trust the scouts if they say dorsey/ellis is BPA there? if they did that, carriker has some positional flexibility & could slide to his arguably more natural position of DE... carriker i think injured his shoulder (torn labrum?) in last game, & while i haven't heard that he won't be ready for the regular season, the injury & rehab could cut into his pre-season work...the rams have a lot of money invested in bulger, jackson & holt, & jake long could help protect that investment... if long is the real deal, a potential franchise LT (not sure that is the case, but he tested well at combine, cementing his status as top OL in '08 draft), they are one of the hardest positions to fill, & it is a position that can make others around him better (a key building block in two super bowl appearances was pace, selected #1 overall, vermiel made trade with parcells to do so... not that long is expected to be in pace's class, but he could be a difference maker)... but we could also say that about elite DE/DT...i do think championships are built in trenches, from inside out, so the rams should get some help there with any of these guys we are discussing...i definitely don't see any LB or DB on horizon with this pick, nor any skill position player... they don't need QB or RB, & while WR depth may be a concern (they do have holt but he is north of 30, bennett didn't distinguish himself last season & they don't have much after that), no WR will grade out that high, & besides, thaey just have more pressing concerns on OL/DL... this sounds like a year in which there may not be an elite WR talent of top 10 caliber, but there is some depth to be had, so hopefully the rams target a WR at some point (i don't think they have third round pick)... also, the rams could always use TE mcmichael more, & jackson & leonard are both good receiving backs... * more i think about it, hope rams get chris or jake long, in that order... i think parcells will take chris long or matt ryan, don't think he takes DT (just got ferguson from DAL to play NT in 3-4) or OL with 1.1...
Last edited by a moderator:
Blackjacks
Footballguy
I agree with almost everything you say Bob. My only disagreement is Jake Long. I don't disagee on the fact that he is a great player, I'm very sure he will be. However I don't think the Rams need are on the Offensive line,am unless your talking about cutting Pace. If your not going to cut Pace and you draft Long....where you gonna put him. Pace and Barron are your 2 tackles and you now have Bell at lg and you have Incognito as you rg. I guess you could put him at right guard and move Incognito to center or just have him lay as a backup for now but that seems like alittle of waste for a #2 pick overall (again unless your not sold on Pace being able to lay for another 2-3 years in which I am) as where if you get Chris Long or Gholsten that allows you to cut Little and save his roster bonus and have that guy starting right away. I guess that could also work for Ellis or Dorsey. We need to go densive line with that #2 overall pick.By the way to answer another question. If the Jets move up it's to get McFadden without a doubt.
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
hey blackjacks,
i also agree they need help on DL, just think they need it on OL, too...
i do like chris long a lot, not sure gholston is that highly graded (1.2)... dorsey concerns me, but maybe medical questions are over blown... i do like ellis a lot, just not sure about at that spot...
to answer your question, yes, i would probably play jake long at RG for a year or two (not sure if pace will hold up for three more years), & slide incognito to center, where he just played in '06, i think... when the ravens had a chance to get franchise LT like jonathan ogden (one of top LTs of his generation, with pace & walter jones), they played him at guard initially...
i also agree they need help on DL, just think they need it on OL, too...
i do like chris long a lot, not sure gholston is that highly graded (1.2)... dorsey concerns me, but maybe medical questions are over blown... i do like ellis a lot, just not sure about at that spot...
to answer your question, yes, i would probably play jake long at RG for a year or two (not sure if pace will hold up for three more years), & slide incognito to center, where he just played in '06, i think... when the ravens had a chance to get franchise LT like jonathan ogden (one of top LTs of his generation, with pace & walter jones), they played him at guard initially...
Last edited by a moderator:
Jason Wood
Zoo York
People shouldn't underestimate what a few key pieces on the O-line can do for a team. Look at the Browns. From laughing stock to explosive offense thanks in no small part to hitting on Joe Thomas with a high pick and acquiring Steinbach from Cincy. So signing Bell and drafting Long or another top tier tackle [obviously the person they draft has to pan out], could really help right things.
MrPhoenix
Ron Paul Soldier
Where would Barron go?LT PaceLG BellC Incognito?RG Barron?RT LongDon't see Barron as a G type.
TheWick
Footballguy
To the pine
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
i don't think the rams have given up on barron yet, though he probably does qualify as a disappointment so far...
he has great athleticism, but probably doesn't have the desire & passion for the game shared by the great ones...
a good point is raised that if long is real deal, the drop off from him playing at RT (hypothetically) or instead barron, may be greater than that between long or incognito (assuming he is healthy) at RG.... but than also the rams would probably be worse at center if long was at RT & incognito stayed at RG, rather than at center (not sure if they would go with romberg, who is marginal but undersized & vulnerable to getting overpowered... he seemed to get exposed last year & could be a liability)...
so plugging long in at RG (for a season or two, grooming him to be pace's eventual successor) makes team better at two positions, having a ripple through effect by bumping cogs to center... replacing barron with long doesn't yield this same benefit...
this alludes to what jason is talking about... adding a few key pieces to the puzzle on all important OL can have this kind of ripple through effect... adding bell & long could immediately make rams better at three positions per above (assuming long pans out, & is more joe thomas than robert gallery)... maybe even at tackles, if more competent guard play relieves inside pressure on tackles (from stunts & twists) & frees them up to focus more on the outside...
he has great athleticism, but probably doesn't have the desire & passion for the game shared by the great ones...
a good point is raised that if long is real deal, the drop off from him playing at RT (hypothetically) or instead barron, may be greater than that between long or incognito (assuming he is healthy) at RG.... but than also the rams would probably be worse at center if long was at RT & incognito stayed at RG, rather than at center (not sure if they would go with romberg, who is marginal but undersized & vulnerable to getting overpowered... he seemed to get exposed last year & could be a liability)...
so plugging long in at RG (for a season or two, grooming him to be pace's eventual successor) makes team better at two positions, having a ripple through effect by bumping cogs to center... replacing barron with long doesn't yield this same benefit...
this alludes to what jason is talking about... adding a few key pieces to the puzzle on all important OL can have this kind of ripple through effect... adding bell & long could immediately make rams better at three positions per above (assuming long pans out, & is more joe thomas than robert gallery)... maybe even at tackles, if more competent guard play relieves inside pressure on tackles (from stunts & twists) & frees them up to focus more on the outside...
TheWick
Footballguy
I agree 100% the OL play was terrible last year but just as bad was the DL line play. All of our pressure was from scheme and blitzing leaving the secondary vulnerable. That same "ripple" effect could be had on the defensive side of the ball with a player like Chris Long or Vernon Gholston ie, more room for Little/Carriker and less time for the QB making the secondary look good. Lets not forget how bad that Giants secondary was and IS when the quaterback has time. I'll take any one of the Longs or Gholston and I won't have a issue at all. Each have the skill to cause the "ripple"
supermark_28
Footballguy
Jason Wood said:
MAC_32
Footballguy
While the ripple effect argument has merit I would think Barron may be best utilized as a backup OT. Pace simply cannot stay healthy, I don't think the Rams can plan on him being there all season. Whenever Pace goes down Barron can pop in, I think that will maintain better continuity with the line than having Long start at RG and fumble with everyone else's positions. If Pace stays healthy the juggling act is probably the best route, but that is a huge IF.
Similar threads
